It is the question that has surrounded the Missouri program since the Independence Bowl win last New Year's Eve. Can the Tigers actually be better after losing Brad Smith?

On the surface, it might seem like a silly question. After all, Smith did account for 69.9 percent of the Tigers' total offensive yards last season. By comparison, Texas' Vince Young, who had one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history, accounted for 61.38 percent of the Longhorns' total yardage. No one in the Big 12 was quite the one-man crew that Smith was.

But this year's Tigers contend that, yes, it can be a good thing that such a huge chunk of offense is gone.

"Last year, we had Brad and he picked up a lot of offense. This year, we're really going to have to count on all aspects, tight ends, running backs and receivers. It's really going to be a full offense," said wide receiver William Franklin. "We got to out there and play every down. We can't really allow for anything like we had with Brad where if things break down, Brad can make up for that.

It will be a complete team approach on offense for the Tigers. The man leading that show should be sophomore quarterback Chase Daniel. While he's not the threat Smith was with his legs, Daniel is expected to do far more damage in the air.